Foundations of Vision Based Control of Robotic Vehicles. Automated and partially automated robotic vehicles are an emerging technology in society. The safety and performance of such systems depends crucially on their sensing and control algorithms. Vision sensing is one of the few sensor modalities that has the potential to adequately represent the complexity of a real world environment. By providing simple and effective vision based control algorithms this project develops Frontier Technologi ....Foundations of Vision Based Control of Robotic Vehicles. Automated and partially automated robotic vehicles are an emerging technology in society. The safety and performance of such systems depends crucially on their sensing and control algorithms. Vision sensing is one of the few sensor modalities that has the potential to adequately represent the complexity of a real world environment. By providing simple and effective vision based control algorithms this project develops Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries by enabling a wide range of robotic vehicle applications, including aerial, submersible, and wheeled vehicles.Read moreRead less
Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater moni ....Control and learning for enhancing capabilities of quantum sensors. This project aims to develop new theories and algorithms to enhance capabilities in engineering quantum sensors from the perspective of systems and control. The project is significant because it is anticipated to advance key knowledge and provide systematic methods to enable achievement of high-precision sensing for wide applications, e.g., early disease detection, medical research, discovery of ore deposits and groundwater monitoring. The intended outcomes are fundamental theories, effective control and learning algorithms for achieving highly-sensitive sensors. These outcomes should make important contributions to and deliver new knowledge and skills for Australia's sensing industries, which could benefit Australia's economic growth.Read moreRead less
Thermal transport by design for fast and efficient solar thermochemical fuel production. This project aims to demonstrate the utility of the thermal transport by design approach to develop functionally graded reactive materials that allow for fast and efficient solar thermo-chemical fuel production. Prediction capabilities will be developed to optimise multi-scale radiative and gas transport coupled with non-stoichiometric redox reactions. Synthesis gas production will be demonstrated using the ....Thermal transport by design for fast and efficient solar thermochemical fuel production. This project aims to demonstrate the utility of the thermal transport by design approach to develop functionally graded reactive materials that allow for fast and efficient solar thermo-chemical fuel production. Prediction capabilities will be developed to optimise multi-scale radiative and gas transport coupled with non-stoichiometric redox reactions. Synthesis gas production will be demonstrated using the new structures in a prototype solar thermochemical reactor under high-flux irradiation. This project aims to advance the fields of thermal sciences and high-temperature solar thermochemical processing and expand the engineering knowledge base to pave the way to sustainable transportation with the existing infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Plasma touches life: advancing plasma technologies for the life sciences. The aim of this project is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how electrically excited gas (plasma) jets deliver reactive oxygen and nitrogen species into tissue, ensuring safety and precision in their use to combat disease. Overcoming barriers in delivery is intended to help realise the full potential of plasma in the life sciences. The project is expected to generate new knowledge across physics, chemistry and bio ....Plasma touches life: advancing plasma technologies for the life sciences. The aim of this project is to develop a mechanistic understanding of how electrically excited gas (plasma) jets deliver reactive oxygen and nitrogen species into tissue, ensuring safety and precision in their use to combat disease. Overcoming barriers in delivery is intended to help realise the full potential of plasma in the life sciences. The project is expected to generate new knowledge across physics, chemistry and biology, leading to new approaches for the future development of plasma technologies. This should provide significant benefits by expanding the human capacity of research in plasma, and in growing the advanced manufacturing of plasma devices for future applications in engineering, biology and health.Read moreRead less
Nanophotonic tandem designs for high efficiency solar cells. This project will develop high-efficiency tandem solar cells that combine established silicon cell technology with novel low-cost thin-film solar cells. It will incorporate nanostructured layers between the cells that selectively trap different wavelengths of light, maximising light absorption in the top cell. This will make it possible to use a very thin top cell, reducing the requirements on electronic quality of the material. This p ....Nanophotonic tandem designs for high efficiency solar cells. This project will develop high-efficiency tandem solar cells that combine established silicon cell technology with novel low-cost thin-film solar cells. It will incorporate nanostructured layers between the cells that selectively trap different wavelengths of light, maximising light absorption in the top cell. This will make it possible to use a very thin top cell, reducing the requirements on electronic quality of the material. This project will also develop self-assembly techniques to enable the new nanostructures to be fabricated quickly and cheaply but with a high degree of control. Such cells will allow open the door to higher efficiencies, and lower costs, than is achievable with conventional solar cells.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of nucleation with special emphasis on gas hydrates. Successful recovery of natural gas from hydrate reservoirs, flow assurance in natural gas pipelines, prevention of undesirable dissociation of methane hydrates in deep ocean sediments, sequestration of carbon dioxide and high density gas storage, all depend on timely formation and dissociation of gas hydrates. Controlled extraction of methane hydrates from, and simultaneous sequestration of carbon dioxide to, deep ocean sediments ha ....Mechanisms of nucleation with special emphasis on gas hydrates. Successful recovery of natural gas from hydrate reservoirs, flow assurance in natural gas pipelines, prevention of undesirable dissociation of methane hydrates in deep ocean sediments, sequestration of carbon dioxide and high density gas storage, all depend on timely formation and dissociation of gas hydrates. Controlled extraction of methane hydrates from, and simultaneous sequestration of carbon dioxide to, deep ocean sediments have been considered to be the 'next big thing' in energy and environment sectors. Sequestration of carbon dioxide is necessary not only for reducing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere but also to stabilise the sediments once methane is extracted.Read moreRead less
Mega spatial-scale, multi time-scale, ensemble assessment of climate change driven coastal change in South Eastern Australia. Climate change driven variations in mean sea level, storm surges, and waves will change the world's coastline. This project will, for the first time, develop innovative modelling methods to quantify the integrated impact of these climate drivers on coastal erosion along Australia's most developed and populated coastline: Sydney to Brisbane.
Enabling low greenhouse gas emissions from road vehicles through the proper use of alternative fuels. A major increase in alternative transport fuel use appears necessary in our response to the challenges of climate change and energy security. This proposal will advance our fundamental understanding of key aspects of the combustion of particular alternative fuels, thus enabling proper engine design and so maximising greenhouse and energy security benefits. Further, the Australian automotive indu ....Enabling low greenhouse gas emissions from road vehicles through the proper use of alternative fuels. A major increase in alternative transport fuel use appears necessary in our response to the challenges of climate change and energy security. This proposal will advance our fundamental understanding of key aspects of the combustion of particular alternative fuels, thus enabling proper engine design and so maximising greenhouse and energy security benefits. Further, the Australian automotive industry is a major employer and exporter, and needs to develop and/or maintain international leadership in low emission technologies to ensure its long term viability. This proposal builds a consortium of local organisations with common interests, thus helping local industry respond to several, significant challenges that they presently face.Read moreRead less
Environmentally sustainable shipping through improved understanding and management of wall-bounded turbulence. The thin region of turbulent flow that is pulled along by a ship's hull as it moves through the water accounts for up to 90 per cent of the overall resistance and a large amount of the fuel burnt. This project aims to control or tame recurrent flow patterns within these turbulent regions to reduce resistance, overall fuel cost and emissions from shipping.
Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in sit ....Advanced materials for space propulsion: satellites and cubesats. Poorly controlled interactions between plasmas and surfaces often mean loss of process efficiency and surface degradation over time. For Hall thrusters, a type of engine used to move satellites in space, this means increased fuel consumption and shorter useful life. Through modelling and experiment, this project will show how intelligent selection of advanced materials and plasma parameters can minimise surface wear, enable in situ material repair to extend device lifetime, and modulate plasma properties to increase thruster efficiency for a given task. These benefits enable reliable propulsion platforms for massive communication and observation satellite networks and deep space exploration.Read moreRead less